It's so easy to call the plays on Monday Morning
The Monday Morning Quarterbacks are out in force, criticizing the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office for failing to do more during a "welfare" check on Elliot Rodger. Rodger, the 22 year old student who has been identified as the killer of six people in Isla Vista during a rampage he described as his "Day of Retribution" got a visit from sheriff's deputies in April. A relative had phoned them and expressed concern about their inability to reach him.
Even though he'd been seeing mental health professionals since he was eight years old, apparently Rodger was not diagnosed with an mental health condition that was inconsistent with the ability to legally purchase and own the three handguns that he had in his possession when police performed the welfare check. The law doesn't allow them to search for or confiscate those weapons, unless there is evidence that the subject of the welfare check is a danger to themselves or others.
This isn't the fault of the sheriff's office. Nor is it the fault of his parents and their parenting of him. The blame does not lie with beautiful sorority women who one by one, they made Elliot suffer through one cruel rejection after another.
He had mental health issues. I don't know enough to conclude that he suffered from a specific illness, nor will I assign one to him. I just know something was horribly wrong inside this young man. Something no one felt was a threat to the safety of this man or others, or they might have reported it to the authorities.
* * *
Meanwhile we're hearing the same litany of "better background checks" and the like. Unless we as a nation are going to set forth very strict standards of what issues in a person's life should legally prevent them from owning a firearm, there would have been no way to prevent the Isla Vista mass shooting incident. In fact, considering that fully half of the victims who died in this mass shooting weren't actually shot, I'm more comfortable calling it a mass murder. It isn't really a mass shooting.
Pre-psychosis was mentioned by one mental health professional asked to speculate about Elliot Rodger's condition prior to his going on this rampage. The details aren't important as long as we remember this. Under current law, nothing about his physical or mental health would have prevented him from legally buying a gun. The mere fact that one is taking certain medications for treatment of depression isn't a factor that prevents gun ownership.
Maybe it should. That's a larger issue. But no one, up to this point, has been able to propose a solution involving gun ownership and mental health conditions wherein there could be a process to prevent those with mental health issues from legally buying guns. That's partly because you can't spend an hour, or even a day examining a person and determine their true mental fitness to own a firearm.
Until we can solve that, more "in-depth" background checks won't make a difference.
* * *
Today being Memorial Day, there are movies on cable that we don't see coming around all that often. "Twelve O' Clock High" just finished and I watched every moment of it. One of the first, and still one of the best war movies dealing with the psychological effects of war on the soldiers who go into combat. It's a great film, used by the military to this date, to teach military leadership.
There's a character in the film, one "Lt. Bishop" who is based on a real life recipient of the Medal of Honor. John C. Morgan was a 2nd lieutenant when he earned his Medal of Honor in a combat situation so harrowing I won't even try to give you a capsule version of it. Instead, here is the citation that accompanied his Medal of Honor:
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while participating on a bombing mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe, 28 (sic) July 1943. Prior to reaching the German coast on the way to the target, the B17 aircraft in which 2d Lt. (sic) Morgan was serving as co-pilot was attacked by a large force of enemy fighters, during which the oxygen system to the tail, waist, and radio gun positions was knocked out. A frontal attack placed a cannon shell through the windshield, totally shattering it, and the pilot's skull was split open by a .303 caliber shell, leaving him in a crazed condition. The pilot fell over the steering wheel, tightly clamping his arms around it. 2d Lt. Morgan at once grasped the controls from his side and, by sheer strength, pulled the aircraft back into formation despite the frantic struggles of the semiconscious pilot. The interphone had been destroyed, rendering it impossible to call for help. At this time the top turret gunner fell to the floor and down through the hatch with his arm shot off at the shoulder and a gaping wound in his side. The waist, tail, and radio gunners had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen and, hearing no fire from their guns, the copilot believed they had bailed out. The wounded pilot still offered desperate resistance in his crazed attempts to fly the aircraft. There remained the prospect of flying to and over the target and back to a friendly base wholly unassisted. In the face of this desperate situation, 2d Lt. Officer Morgan made his decision to continue the flight and protect any members of the crew who might still be in the ship and for 2 hours he flew in formation with one hand at the controls and the other holding off the struggling pilot before the navigator entered the steering compartment and relieved the situation. The miraculous and heroic performance of 2d Lt. Morgan on this occasion resulted in the successful completion of a vital bombing mission and the safe return of his aircraft and crew."
The co-pilot who Lt. Morgan was restraining during this flight died a little over an hour after the plane landed. The five gunners survived.
Interestingly, Robert Arthur, who had a small role as the driver of Gregory Peck's character, was the last surviving member of the cast who was billed in the original credits when he died in 2008. He was a Log Cabin Republican who was active in the fight for gay rights for senior citizens. Oh the things we learn when we dig into the trivia of a film.
* * *
It's all about how you approach the story. Here are two different version of a news item about a prolific hacker having his sentence reduced to seven months time served by a federal judge. First, the TMZ version:
"One of the most prolific hackers of the last decade has just been sentenced ... after breaking into computer systems and stealing a bunch of confidential data relating to more than 70,000 "X Factor" contestants.
30-year-old Hector Monsegur -- a member of the famed LulzSec hacker ring -- was sentenced Tuesday to in New York to time served (7 months) plus one year of supervised release. His sentence was reduced after he helped the Feds nail a bunch of his cohorts.
Monsegur pled guilty in 2011 to computer hacking, conspiracy, fraud, and a bunch of other stuff.
The 2011 "X Factor" job was just one of his crimes -- Monsegur was also involved in cyber attacks on Visa, PayPal, Mastercard, and several foreign government computer systems.
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell is still rich."
Now the UPI version:
"NEW YORK, May 27 (UPI) --A computer hacker with the group Anonymous has helped disrupt hundreds of cyber-assaults since he switched sides, a U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday.
A judge in New York gave Hector Xavier "Sabu" Monsegur a sentence of time served. He has spent about seven months behind bars. In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said Monsegur has prevented at least 300 attacks on government and corporate computer networks in the past three years. "The amount of loss prevented by Monsegur's actions is difficult to fully quantify, but even a conservative estimate would yield a loss prevention figure in the millions of dollars," Assistant U.S. Attorney James Pastore told the court. "Moreover, Monsegur provided information about actual and purported vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.""The amount of loss prevented by Monsegur's actions is difficult to fully quantify but even a conservative estimate would yield a loss prevention figure in the millions of dollars," said James Pastore, an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "Moreover, Monsegur provided information about actual and purported vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure."Monsegur, who used the name Sabu online, worked with Anonymous, LulzSec and InternetFeds. His targets as an outlaw included Sony, the U.S. Senate and PBS, as well as Paypal and other companies who were attacked as retribution for their refusal to process donations to Wikileaks. Prosecutors said Monsegur and his family had to be moved because of threats since he began cooperating with the FBI."
* * *
Since I wrote most of the above on Memorial Day, today's Random Ponderings and This Date in History will deal mostly with Monday, May 25th.
Random Ponderings:
Why is it Bank of America is having such a tough time foreclosing on a home owned by Burt Reynolds?
People caught a rare sawfish off of the Florida coast. Sawfish + Shark + Tornado = new SyFy horror film SharkSawNado.
Next time you head to a buffet, bear in mind that one of the ways buffet operators try to keep costs down is by pushing the starchy, cheaper, more-filling foods at the start of the line.
It isn't cheating or infidelity if you are separated; unless you made an agreement not to see others while separated.
Why hasn't the Magic Johnson Prepaid Debit card, with its outrageous monthly and annual fees gotten more press? It's being allowed to quietly go away.
Are those kneepads Khloe Kardashian is wearing as she returned to the U.S. from the least important wedding of the year?
Those of you contemplating careers in journalism should learn from this example. A reporter at the French Open congratulated Nicholas Mahut on his first round victory. Problem is, Mr. Mahut lost a grueling four-set first round match. What kind of idiot goes to interview someone about a tennis match without knowing the outcome of the match?
Bad enough fans of the L. A. Dodgers can't watch the team on television unless they have Time-Warner Cable. Now the few of us who can watch the games on television will be denied baseball's all-time best broadcaster, as Vin Scully will miss Tuesday's game due to a chest cold. Get well soon, Vinny.
There isn't much difference between U. S. Congressman Ralph Hall (R) of Texas and his challenger in a primary run-off election when it comes to the issues. Both he and John Ratcliffe are just the right kind of conservatives to garner votes in Rockwall, Texas. But Hall is 91 years old, while Ratcliffe is only 48. If I were a resident of the 4th Congressional district in Texas, I would not vote for Ralph Hall. Not just because of his age, but because of his record.
This fluid leaking from the leg thing got old awhile back. Now it's just downright annoying.
Pot flowing illegally across the border sounds like a news story from the border between the U. S. and Mexico. But in fact, it's a headline from the states adjacent to the state of Colorado, who are fighting their own border war with pot at the center. An unintended consequence of the legalization of pot in Colorado and the refusal of the U. S. federal government to consider extending the legalization on a nation-wide basis.
Perhaps with all of the bad news facing the economy of Detroit, the fact that the cost of living in the downtown area is rising rapidly must be a spot of good news.
If I thought 7-11 had poisoned me with their coffee, intentionally or unintentionally, my first reaction would not be to make a flier to warn others. Seeking treatment would be #1, followed by determining what happened.
May 26th in History:
47 BC – Julius Caesar visits Tarsus on his way to Pontus, where he meets enthusiastic support, but where, according to Cicero, Cassius is planning to kill him at this point.
17 – Germanicus returns to Rome as a conquering hero; he celebrates a triumph for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti and other German tribes west of the Elbe.
451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place. The Empire defeats the Armenians militarily but guarantees them freedom to openly practice Christianity.
946 – King Edmund I of England is murdered by a thief whom he personally attacks while celebrating St Augustine's Mass Day.
1135 – Alfonso VII of León and Castile is crowned in the Cathedral of Leon as Imperator totius Hispaniae, "Emperor of all of Spain".
1293 – An earthquake strikes Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, killing about 30,000.
1328 – William of Ockham, the Franciscan Minister-General Michael of Cesena and two other Franciscan leaders secretly leave Avignon, fearing a death sentence from Pope John XXII.
1538 – Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city. Calvin lives in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years.
1573 – The Battle of Haarlemmermeer, a naval engagement in the Dutch War of Independence.
1637 – Pequot War: A combined Protestant and Mohegan force under the English Captain John Mason attacks a Pequot village in Connecticut, massacring approximately 500 Native Americans.
1644 – Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese and Spanish forces both claim victory in the Battle of Montijo.
1647 – Alse Young, hanged in Hartford, Connecticut, becomes the first person executed as a witch in the British American colonies.
1736 – Battle of Ackia: British and Chickasaw soldiers repel a French and Choctaw attack on the Chickasaw village of Ackia, near present-day Tupelo, Mississippi. The French, under the governor of Louisiana, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, had sought to link Louisiana with Acadia and the other northern colonies of New France.
1770 – The Orlov Revolt, an attempt to revolt against the Ottoman Empire before the Greek War of Independence, ends in disaster for the Greeks.
1783 – A Great Jubilee Day held at North Stratford, Connecticut, celebrated end of fighting in American Revolution.
1805 – Napoléon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Duomo di Milano, the gothic cathedral in Milan.
1821 – Establishment of the Peloponnesian Senate by the Greek rebels.
1822 – 116 people die in the Grue Church fire, the biggest fire disaster in Norway's history.
1828 – Feral child Kaspar Hauser is discovered wandering the streets of Nuremberg.
1830 – The Indian Removal Act is passed by the U.S. Congress; it is signed into law by President Andrew Jackson two days later.
1857 – Dred Scott is emancipated by the Blow family, his original owners.
1864 – Montana is organized as a United States territory.
1865 – American Civil War: the Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi division, is the last full general of the Confederate Army to surrender, at Galveston, Texas.
1869 – Boston University is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state.
1896 – Nicholas II becomes the last Tsar of Imperial Russia.
1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
1897 – Dracula, a novel by the Irish author Bram Stoker, is published.
1900 – Thousand Days' War: The Colombian Conservative Party turns the tide of war in their favor with victory against the Colombian Liberal Party in the Battle of Palonegro.
1906 – Vauxhall Bridge is opened in London.
1908 – At Masjed Soleyman (مسجد سليمان) in southwest Persia, the first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made. The rights to the resource are quickly acquired by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
1917 – Several powerful tornadoes rip through Illinois, including the city of Mattoon, killing 101 people and injuring 689.
1918 – The Democratic Republic of Georgia is established.
1923 – 24 Hours of Le Mans, was first held, and has since been run annually in June.
1936 – In the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, Tommy Henderson begins speaking on the Appropriation Bill. By the time he sits down in the early hours of the following morning, he had spoken for 10 hours.
1938 – In the United States, the House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first session.
1940 – World War II: Operation Dynamo – In northern France, Allied forces begin a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France.
1940 – World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison.
1942 – World War II: The Battle of Gazala takes place.
1948 – The U.S. Congress passes Public Law 557, which permanently establishes the Civil Air Patrol as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
1966 – British Guiana gains independence, becoming Guyana.
1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first manned moon landing.
1970 – The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 becomes the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2.
1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army slaughters at least 71 Hindus in Burunga, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
1972 – Willandra National Park is established in Australia.
1972 – The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
1977 – George Willig climbs the South Tower of New York City's World Trade Center.
1981 – Italian Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his coalition cabinet resign following a scandal over membership of the pseudo-masonic lodge P2 (Propaganda Due).
1981 – An EA-6B Prowler crashes on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others.
1983 – A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan, triggering a tsunami that kills at least 104 people and injures thousands. Many people go missing and thousands of buildings are destroyed.
1986 – The European Community adopts the European flag.
1991 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia becomes the first elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era.
1991 – Lauda Air Flight 004, a Boeing 767, crashes in an area of western Thailand after a thrust reverser malfunction. All 223 people aboard are killed.
1992 – The blockade of Dubrovnik is broken. Following this, the siege of Dubrovnik ends in the next months.
1998 – The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.
1998 – The first "National Sorry Day" was held in Australia, and reconciliation events were held nationally, and attended by over a million people.
2002 – The tugboat Robert Y. Love collides with a support pier of Interstate 40 on the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, resulting in 14 deaths and 11 others injured.
2004 – United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.
2008 – Severe flooding begins in eastern and southern China that will ultimately cause 148 deaths and force the evacuation of 1.3 million.
Famous Folk Born on May 26th:
Pope Clement VII
Prince Koreyasu - Shogun of Japan
Al Jolson
Norma Talmadge
John Wayne
Robert Morley
Henry Ephron
Jay Silverheels
Peter Cushing
Moondog
Peggy Lee
James Arness
Miles Davis
Jack Kevorkian
Brent Musberger
Levon Helm
Aldrich Ames
Cliff Drysdale
Garry Peterson
Stevie Nicks
Pam Grier
Hank Williams, Jr.
Sally Ride
Genie Francis
Bobcat Goldthwait
Lenny Kravitz
Helena Bonham Carter
Zola Budd
Lauryn Hill
Even though he'd been seeing mental health professionals since he was eight years old, apparently Rodger was not diagnosed with an mental health condition that was inconsistent with the ability to legally purchase and own the three handguns that he had in his possession when police performed the welfare check. The law doesn't allow them to search for or confiscate those weapons, unless there is evidence that the subject of the welfare check is a danger to themselves or others.
This isn't the fault of the sheriff's office. Nor is it the fault of his parents and their parenting of him. The blame does not lie with beautiful sorority women who one by one, they made Elliot suffer through one cruel rejection after another.
He had mental health issues. I don't know enough to conclude that he suffered from a specific illness, nor will I assign one to him. I just know something was horribly wrong inside this young man. Something no one felt was a threat to the safety of this man or others, or they might have reported it to the authorities.
* * *
Meanwhile we're hearing the same litany of "better background checks" and the like. Unless we as a nation are going to set forth very strict standards of what issues in a person's life should legally prevent them from owning a firearm, there would have been no way to prevent the Isla Vista mass shooting incident. In fact, considering that fully half of the victims who died in this mass shooting weren't actually shot, I'm more comfortable calling it a mass murder. It isn't really a mass shooting.
Pre-psychosis was mentioned by one mental health professional asked to speculate about Elliot Rodger's condition prior to his going on this rampage. The details aren't important as long as we remember this. Under current law, nothing about his physical or mental health would have prevented him from legally buying a gun. The mere fact that one is taking certain medications for treatment of depression isn't a factor that prevents gun ownership.
Maybe it should. That's a larger issue. But no one, up to this point, has been able to propose a solution involving gun ownership and mental health conditions wherein there could be a process to prevent those with mental health issues from legally buying guns. That's partly because you can't spend an hour, or even a day examining a person and determine their true mental fitness to own a firearm.
Until we can solve that, more "in-depth" background checks won't make a difference.
* * *
Today being Memorial Day, there are movies on cable that we don't see coming around all that often. "Twelve O' Clock High" just finished and I watched every moment of it. One of the first, and still one of the best war movies dealing with the psychological effects of war on the soldiers who go into combat. It's a great film, used by the military to this date, to teach military leadership.
There's a character in the film, one "Lt. Bishop" who is based on a real life recipient of the Medal of Honor. John C. Morgan was a 2nd lieutenant when he earned his Medal of Honor in a combat situation so harrowing I won't even try to give you a capsule version of it. Instead, here is the citation that accompanied his Medal of Honor:
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while participating on a bombing mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe, 28 (sic) July 1943. Prior to reaching the German coast on the way to the target, the B17 aircraft in which 2d Lt. (sic) Morgan was serving as co-pilot was attacked by a large force of enemy fighters, during which the oxygen system to the tail, waist, and radio gun positions was knocked out. A frontal attack placed a cannon shell through the windshield, totally shattering it, and the pilot's skull was split open by a .303 caliber shell, leaving him in a crazed condition. The pilot fell over the steering wheel, tightly clamping his arms around it. 2d Lt. Morgan at once grasped the controls from his side and, by sheer strength, pulled the aircraft back into formation despite the frantic struggles of the semiconscious pilot. The interphone had been destroyed, rendering it impossible to call for help. At this time the top turret gunner fell to the floor and down through the hatch with his arm shot off at the shoulder and a gaping wound in his side. The waist, tail, and radio gunners had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen and, hearing no fire from their guns, the copilot believed they had bailed out. The wounded pilot still offered desperate resistance in his crazed attempts to fly the aircraft. There remained the prospect of flying to and over the target and back to a friendly base wholly unassisted. In the face of this desperate situation, 2d Lt. Officer Morgan made his decision to continue the flight and protect any members of the crew who might still be in the ship and for 2 hours he flew in formation with one hand at the controls and the other holding off the struggling pilot before the navigator entered the steering compartment and relieved the situation. The miraculous and heroic performance of 2d Lt. Morgan on this occasion resulted in the successful completion of a vital bombing mission and the safe return of his aircraft and crew."
The co-pilot who Lt. Morgan was restraining during this flight died a little over an hour after the plane landed. The five gunners survived.
Interestingly, Robert Arthur, who had a small role as the driver of Gregory Peck's character, was the last surviving member of the cast who was billed in the original credits when he died in 2008. He was a Log Cabin Republican who was active in the fight for gay rights for senior citizens. Oh the things we learn when we dig into the trivia of a film.
* * *
It's all about how you approach the story. Here are two different version of a news item about a prolific hacker having his sentence reduced to seven months time served by a federal judge. First, the TMZ version:
"One of the most prolific hackers of the last decade has just been sentenced ... after breaking into computer systems and stealing a bunch of confidential data relating to more than 70,000 "X Factor" contestants.
30-year-old Hector Monsegur -- a member of the famed LulzSec hacker ring -- was sentenced Tuesday to in New York to time served (7 months) plus one year of supervised release. His sentence was reduced after he helped the Feds nail a bunch of his cohorts.
Monsegur pled guilty in 2011 to computer hacking, conspiracy, fraud, and a bunch of other stuff.
The 2011 "X Factor" job was just one of his crimes -- Monsegur was also involved in cyber attacks on Visa, PayPal, Mastercard, and several foreign government computer systems.
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell is still rich."
Now the UPI version:
"NEW YORK, May 27 (UPI) --A computer hacker with the group Anonymous has helped disrupt hundreds of cyber-assaults since he switched sides, a U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday.
A judge in New York gave Hector Xavier "Sabu" Monsegur a sentence of time served. He has spent about seven months behind bars. In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said Monsegur has prevented at least 300 attacks on government and corporate computer networks in the past three years. "The amount of loss prevented by Monsegur's actions is difficult to fully quantify, but even a conservative estimate would yield a loss prevention figure in the millions of dollars," Assistant U.S. Attorney James Pastore told the court. "Moreover, Monsegur provided information about actual and purported vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.""The amount of loss prevented by Monsegur's actions is difficult to fully quantify but even a conservative estimate would yield a loss prevention figure in the millions of dollars," said James Pastore, an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "Moreover, Monsegur provided information about actual and purported vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure."Monsegur, who used the name Sabu online, worked with Anonymous, LulzSec and InternetFeds. His targets as an outlaw included Sony, the U.S. Senate and PBS, as well as Paypal and other companies who were attacked as retribution for their refusal to process donations to Wikileaks. Prosecutors said Monsegur and his family had to be moved because of threats since he began cooperating with the FBI."
* * *
Since I wrote most of the above on Memorial Day, today's Random Ponderings and This Date in History will deal mostly with Monday, May 25th.
Random Ponderings:
Why is it Bank of America is having such a tough time foreclosing on a home owned by Burt Reynolds?
People caught a rare sawfish off of the Florida coast. Sawfish + Shark + Tornado = new SyFy horror film SharkSawNado.
Next time you head to a buffet, bear in mind that one of the ways buffet operators try to keep costs down is by pushing the starchy, cheaper, more-filling foods at the start of the line.
It isn't cheating or infidelity if you are separated; unless you made an agreement not to see others while separated.
Why hasn't the Magic Johnson Prepaid Debit card, with its outrageous monthly and annual fees gotten more press? It's being allowed to quietly go away.
Are those kneepads Khloe Kardashian is wearing as she returned to the U.S. from the least important wedding of the year?
Those of you contemplating careers in journalism should learn from this example. A reporter at the French Open congratulated Nicholas Mahut on his first round victory. Problem is, Mr. Mahut lost a grueling four-set first round match. What kind of idiot goes to interview someone about a tennis match without knowing the outcome of the match?
Bad enough fans of the L. A. Dodgers can't watch the team on television unless they have Time-Warner Cable. Now the few of us who can watch the games on television will be denied baseball's all-time best broadcaster, as Vin Scully will miss Tuesday's game due to a chest cold. Get well soon, Vinny.
There isn't much difference between U. S. Congressman Ralph Hall (R) of Texas and his challenger in a primary run-off election when it comes to the issues. Both he and John Ratcliffe are just the right kind of conservatives to garner votes in Rockwall, Texas. But Hall is 91 years old, while Ratcliffe is only 48. If I were a resident of the 4th Congressional district in Texas, I would not vote for Ralph Hall. Not just because of his age, but because of his record.
This fluid leaking from the leg thing got old awhile back. Now it's just downright annoying.
Pot flowing illegally across the border sounds like a news story from the border between the U. S. and Mexico. But in fact, it's a headline from the states adjacent to the state of Colorado, who are fighting their own border war with pot at the center. An unintended consequence of the legalization of pot in Colorado and the refusal of the U. S. federal government to consider extending the legalization on a nation-wide basis.
Perhaps with all of the bad news facing the economy of Detroit, the fact that the cost of living in the downtown area is rising rapidly must be a spot of good news.
If I thought 7-11 had poisoned me with their coffee, intentionally or unintentionally, my first reaction would not be to make a flier to warn others. Seeking treatment would be #1, followed by determining what happened.
May 26th in History:
47 BC – Julius Caesar visits Tarsus on his way to Pontus, where he meets enthusiastic support, but where, according to Cicero, Cassius is planning to kill him at this point.
17 – Germanicus returns to Rome as a conquering hero; he celebrates a triumph for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti and other German tribes west of the Elbe.
451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place. The Empire defeats the Armenians militarily but guarantees them freedom to openly practice Christianity.
946 – King Edmund I of England is murdered by a thief whom he personally attacks while celebrating St Augustine's Mass Day.
1135 – Alfonso VII of León and Castile is crowned in the Cathedral of Leon as Imperator totius Hispaniae, "Emperor of all of Spain".
1293 – An earthquake strikes Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, killing about 30,000.
1328 – William of Ockham, the Franciscan Minister-General Michael of Cesena and two other Franciscan leaders secretly leave Avignon, fearing a death sentence from Pope John XXII.
1538 – Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city. Calvin lives in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years.
1573 – The Battle of Haarlemmermeer, a naval engagement in the Dutch War of Independence.
1637 – Pequot War: A combined Protestant and Mohegan force under the English Captain John Mason attacks a Pequot village in Connecticut, massacring approximately 500 Native Americans.
1644 – Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese and Spanish forces both claim victory in the Battle of Montijo.
1647 – Alse Young, hanged in Hartford, Connecticut, becomes the first person executed as a witch in the British American colonies.
1736 – Battle of Ackia: British and Chickasaw soldiers repel a French and Choctaw attack on the Chickasaw village of Ackia, near present-day Tupelo, Mississippi. The French, under the governor of Louisiana, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, had sought to link Louisiana with Acadia and the other northern colonies of New France.
1770 – The Orlov Revolt, an attempt to revolt against the Ottoman Empire before the Greek War of Independence, ends in disaster for the Greeks.
1783 – A Great Jubilee Day held at North Stratford, Connecticut, celebrated end of fighting in American Revolution.
1805 – Napoléon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in the Duomo di Milano, the gothic cathedral in Milan.
1821 – Establishment of the Peloponnesian Senate by the Greek rebels.
1822 – 116 people die in the Grue Church fire, the biggest fire disaster in Norway's history.
1828 – Feral child Kaspar Hauser is discovered wandering the streets of Nuremberg.
1830 – The Indian Removal Act is passed by the U.S. Congress; it is signed into law by President Andrew Jackson two days later.
1857 – Dred Scott is emancipated by the Blow family, his original owners.
1864 – Montana is organized as a United States territory.
1865 – American Civil War: the Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi division, is the last full general of the Confederate Army to surrender, at Galveston, Texas.
1869 – Boston University is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state.
1896 – Nicholas II becomes the last Tsar of Imperial Russia.
1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
1897 – Dracula, a novel by the Irish author Bram Stoker, is published.
1900 – Thousand Days' War: The Colombian Conservative Party turns the tide of war in their favor with victory against the Colombian Liberal Party in the Battle of Palonegro.
1906 – Vauxhall Bridge is opened in London.
1908 – At Masjed Soleyman (مسجد سليمان) in southwest Persia, the first major commercial oil strike in the Middle East is made. The rights to the resource are quickly acquired by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
1917 – Several powerful tornadoes rip through Illinois, including the city of Mattoon, killing 101 people and injuring 689.
1918 – The Democratic Republic of Georgia is established.
1923 – 24 Hours of Le Mans, was first held, and has since been run annually in June.
1936 – In the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, Tommy Henderson begins speaking on the Appropriation Bill. By the time he sits down in the early hours of the following morning, he had spoken for 10 hours.
1938 – In the United States, the House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first session.
1940 – World War II: Operation Dynamo – In northern France, Allied forces begin a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France.
1940 – World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison.
1942 – World War II: The Battle of Gazala takes place.
1948 – The U.S. Congress passes Public Law 557, which permanently establishes the Civil Air Patrol as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
1966 – British Guiana gains independence, becoming Guyana.
1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 10 returns to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first manned moon landing.
1970 – The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 becomes the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2.
1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army slaughters at least 71 Hindus in Burunga, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
1972 – Willandra National Park is established in Australia.
1972 – The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
1977 – George Willig climbs the South Tower of New York City's World Trade Center.
1981 – Italian Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his coalition cabinet resign following a scandal over membership of the pseudo-masonic lodge P2 (Propaganda Due).
1981 – An EA-6B Prowler crashes on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others.
1983 – A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan, triggering a tsunami that kills at least 104 people and injures thousands. Many people go missing and thousands of buildings are destroyed.
1986 – The European Community adopts the European flag.
1991 – Zviad Gamsakhurdia becomes the first elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era.
1991 – Lauda Air Flight 004, a Boeing 767, crashes in an area of western Thailand after a thrust reverser malfunction. All 223 people aboard are killed.
1992 – The blockade of Dubrovnik is broken. Following this, the siege of Dubrovnik ends in the next months.
1998 – The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants, is mainly in the state of New Jersey, not New York.
1998 – The first "National Sorry Day" was held in Australia, and reconciliation events were held nationally, and attended by over a million people.
2002 – The tugboat Robert Y. Love collides with a support pier of Interstate 40 on the Arkansas River near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, resulting in 14 deaths and 11 others injured.
2004 – United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.
2008 – Severe flooding begins in eastern and southern China that will ultimately cause 148 deaths and force the evacuation of 1.3 million.
Famous Folk Born on May 26th:
Pope Clement VII
Prince Koreyasu - Shogun of Japan
Al Jolson
Norma Talmadge
John Wayne
Robert Morley
Henry Ephron
Jay Silverheels
Peter Cushing
Moondog
Peggy Lee
James Arness
Miles Davis
Jack Kevorkian
Brent Musberger
Levon Helm
Aldrich Ames
Cliff Drysdale
Garry Peterson
Stevie Nicks
Pam Grier
Hank Williams, Jr.
Sally Ride
Genie Francis
Bobcat Goldthwait
Lenny Kravitz
Helena Bonham Carter
Zola Budd
Lauryn Hill
posted by me at 7:21 PM
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